Tongue-depressor



J. M.' PARK. TONGUE DEPRESSOR. APPLlcAloN FILED MAR.14,1916.

`1,339,71 1. f Patented Mav11,1920.

TZ FIG.. 1 1.

JAY M. PARK, or` CHAFFEE,

NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 ROY B. CHARLES,

OF GHAFFEE, NEW YORK.

TONGUE-DEPRESSOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1920.

I Application led March 14, 1918. Serial No. 222,302.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAY M. PARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chaffee, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tongue-Depressors, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a device adapted for use by physicians in readily obtaining a clear vision of the throat of a patient, the structure being easy and inexpensive to manufacture and ornamental in appearance.

A further object of the device is the provision of an attachment readily associated with any ordinary battery lamp whereby Athe light is employed for examining the throat simultaneously with the manual depressing of the tongue by a removable sanitary device. f

v A still further object of the invention is the provision of an attachment for battery lamps inthe nature of an adjustable reflector for the lamp and depressor for the tongue of the patient, the structure being such that the light is thrown upon a desired point rendered accessible by the manipulation of the device.

With these general objects in View and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and then claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which like reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of the device partially brokeny away indicating by dotted lines the arrangement of the parts when folded,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the device arranged with a glass re- Hector, and of a modilied form,

Fig. 4 is an end view of the same, and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of the preferred form of the invention,

Fig. 6 is'a view thereof in its normal inoperative position.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the device broadly consists of a base plate 10 adapted for detachable connection with the battery box or' casing 11 of an ordinary battery or pocket lamp, a hood-shaped relector 12 being arranged at one end of the plate 10 for the lamp bulb 13 of the lamp 1l while a thin blade or depressor 14 for the tongue is'removablyarranged within a recess 15 at the opposite end of the plate 10.V

The casing 11 is arranged with a dry battery'cell 16 having a terminal 17 adapted for completing an electrical circuit with a threaded socket 18 of a swinging arm 19 hinged as at 2O to thebottom of the plate 10. It will be understood that the Contact point 21 is centrally arranged upon the bot- .tom ofthe socket 18 for engaging the battery terminal 17 while the said battery circuit is adapted to be completed through the screw collar 22 of the said casing 11. y

The socket 18 is similar to that provided as a base for the usual miniature electric lamp bulb and the circuit is completed between the main portion of the socket 18 and the other terminal 23 of the battery 16 by shifting the switch plate 24 arranged in the usual manner upon the side of the casing 11.

With the switch 24: closed, any incandescent electric lamp or bulb 13 shown in Fig. 1 or 13 shown in Fig. 5, will be lighted when positioned within the socket 18 bridging the central-contact point thereof with any adjacent portion of the socket 18. Inother words, when the lamp 13 has its base 25 threaded into the socket 18, the lamp 13 will be lighted, and an opening 26 may be arranged within the plate 10 for accommodating the lamp 13 and permitting the same to project above the face of the plate 10 for reflecting the rays of light from the polished inner surface 27 ofthe reflector 12 when desired by shifting the plate 10 upon its hin e 20.

e lamp 13 is shown screw-threaded into the plate 10 at 26 and upon swinging the said plate upon its hinge 20, to contact the base 25 of the lamp 13', with the socket 18 and the central spring contact 28 of the socket contact 21 with the base contact 21', the lamp 13 will be lighted for use in refleeting the rays by means of the reflector 12.

From this detailed description of the device, it will be apparent thatvin the form thereof shown in Fig. 1, the battery casing 11 may be grasped in the hand of the operator with his thumb resting upon the outer slanting face of the reflector 12 and whereby the plate 10 may be moved upon its hinge 20 as found desirable for regulating the relection of the rays of light from the lamp 13 by means of the reflector, while at lthe same time the blade 14 is positioned upon the tongue of the patient, for depressing the tongue and permitting the light to be reflected at the desired point in the throat of the patient. The thumb of the operator may also swing the plate 10 rotarily upon the casing 11 while it will be understood that the switch plate 24 may be arranged at either side of the casing desired, the socket 18 being shiftable in the casing collar 22.

It will be seen that the socket 18 may be readily unscrewed from the collar 22 of the lamp casing 12 and any suitable lamp replaced in the said collar 22 for employing the flash-light in the usual manner. The device forms an attachment which may be readily used with a so-called pocket flashlight and requiring only slight changes therein, the collar 22 and socket 18 being of usual stock diameter in both forms of the device, as well as the lamp base 25 in the form shown in Figs. 5 and 6 while the base 25 in the form shown in Fig. 1 is of smaller diameter for threading within the socket 18.

The device is readily manipulated by the thumb of the operator when the same is in use and the structure is rendered sanitary by renewing the blade 111 for each patient, such blades being preferably formed of wood, substantially elliptical in shape. The lighting of the lamp 13 is entirely regulated by the switch plate 24 in the form of the device shown in Fig. 1 and the reflector 12 may be shifted relatively of the lamp. The lamp 13 on the other hand, in the form shown in Fig. 5 maintains its fixed relation with respect to the reflector 12 but is controlled by shifting the base 25 relativelyrof the socket 18 and contact spring 28 and from Which it will be seen that when the device is laid aside, or not in use, the plate 10 may be moved upon its hinge 2O so that the lamp 13 Will not be lighted. A mirror lining 29 may be arranged for the inner face 27 of the reflector' 12 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing and the said inner surface 27 of the steel reflector 12 may be suitably polished for providing the necessary refiecting face. A serviceable article of manufacture is arranged which. may be sold separately or with the usual battery lamp and the device is small and convenient for use as well as possessing a pleasing appearance.

In the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing, it will be seen that the plate 10 is readily positioned at such an angle with respect to the casing 11 as to readily break the electrical circuit for eX- tinguishing the light.

The lamp 13 being screwed into the plate 10 is automatically lighted when the electrical circuit is closed by moving the plate 10 toward the top of the casing 11. It will also be noted that the depressor blade v14 is of the usual construction now found upon the market and is serviceable in connection with my device although another form of blade adapted for seating within the recess 15 may be employed if desired.l

Vhat I claim as new is 1. A device of theclass described comprising a mounting plate having a receiving recess in one end, a tongue depressing blade removably arranged within the said recess, a lamp socket hinged beneath the plate adjacent the said recess, a hoodeshaped re- Hector upon the opposite end of the plate having a polished inner surface, an incandescent lamp bulb associated with the said plate and movable relatively of said lamp socket and arranged between the said refiector and blade during the operation of the device andy electric circuit supplying means for said bulb.

2. A device of the class described comprising a mounting plate having a receiving recess in one end, a tongue depressing blade removably arranged within the said recess, a lamp socket hinged beneath the plate adjacent the said recess, a hood-shaped reflector upon the opposite end of the plate having a polished inner surface, an incandescent lamp arranged within said lamp socket, the said plate having an opening therethrough between the said reflector and recess adapted for the reception of the said lamp during the hinged shifting of the said plate.

3. A device of the class described comprising a contact member adapted for at tachment to a battery, a plate hinged to said member, an electric bulb operatively associated with said contact member and plate, and a reiiector and detachable depressor blade carried by said plate.

4C. In combination with a battery casing,

an arm adapted for screw threaded attachment therewith providing electric terminals, a plate hinged to the said arm, a lamp bulb adapted forrclosing the circuit between said terminals for lighting the bulb, a reflector upon the plate adjacent said bulb during the operation of the device anda depressing blade carried by the plate at the opposite side of the bulb from the said reflector.

5. In combination with a battery casing having a receiving collar, a socket arranged within said collar providing electrical terminals, an arm carried by the socket and arranged upon the top of the casing, a plate hinged to the arm, a depressing blade detachably carried by one end of the plate adjacent the point of connection with the said arm, a hood-shaped reflector upon the opposite end of the plate and an electric light bulb adapted forl closing electrical connections with thev said socket whereby ioo the light from the bulb is reflected upon shifting the plate toward said arm.

6. An article of manufacture comprising a plate, a hood-shaped relector at one end of the plate, a tongue depressing blade de tachably mounted upon the opposite end of the plate and lamp attaching means hinged to the plate.

7. An article of manufacture comprising a plate, a hood-shaped reflector at one end of the plate, a tongue depressing blade detachably mounted upon the opposite end of the plate, a lamp socket hinged to the said plate adapted for attachment to a battery casing and a lamp associated with said socket and plate whereby the rays of the lamp may be thrown by the reflector in the direction of said blade.

8. In combination with a battery lamp casing having a threaded collar, a threaded lamp socket adapted for detachable arrangement within said collar, a mounting plate hinged to the said socket, and having a recess longitudinally extending inwardly of one end of the plate, a hood-shaped reflector mounted upon the opposite end of the plate, a tongue depressing blade removably positioned within the said recess and an incandescent lamp arranged within the said threaded socket inwardly of the reilector when the device is in operation.

Y9. A device of the class described comprising a mounting plate having a receiving recess in one end, a tongue depressing blade removably arranged within the said recess, a lamp socket hinged to the plate adjacent the said recess and a hood-shaped reflector upon the opposite end of the plate from said recess having apolished inner surface.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAY M. PARK. 

